Hellsgate
Hellsgate is an open city on the northern border of the Weirdling Lands. It is short of the Laughing Dragon mountains. It is said that anything can be bought or sold in Hellsgate, including souls and damnation. As it is the one pl;ace on Greyhawke where devils freely walk the streets that is a fair assessment. In spite of the city's remote location many people come there. And in spite of the devilish reputation many live there as well. History Hellsgate was founded during the First Undying war as a forward camp of attack against the Undyng King. So serious was this threat that Hell itself allied with the powers of Greyhawke to fight him. Hellsgate and 50 miles around the city center were granted to the devils. Any devil within the border is considered to have lawful passage on the prime material. Outside that you are on your own bucky. Mortals that enter the Precincts of Hellsgate need deal with devils as a fact of life. The defining feature of Hellsgate is an open gate to Hell. No one guards it. No one needs to. Hell being a place of rules a system of governance was created between Hell and the Eyrian Empire. The city is watched over by two princes. Rolasphior is the Hellish Prince of the City and Ivan Dimetrivich is the Eyrian Prince. Law Hellsgate law is nearly a contradiction in terms. There is little if any statute law. Those that break the peace will be dealt with by the Princes. Property damage or personal harm are dealt with by your neighborhood society and the strong man (or woman) that runs it. The city is run as a gangocracy. The more powerful your gang, the more you can get away with. Might is right and if you don't have might you seek someone that does and swear fealty to them. The primary points of power are the Two Princes, one from Hell and one from Eyrie. Rolasalor is the Prince from Hell and has the largest "constituency" in the City as all Devils look to him. Ivan is the Eyrian Prince, and while he has few that look to him, no one smart crosses him. He and his body of people see that some from of justice is imposed on the mess that is Hellsgate. The will default in the direction of Eyrian law, but not if it simply does not apply. The largest non governmental body is Kirt Hellreaver who all but owns the north of the city. They are countless smaller associations that protect or avenge their members. In Hellsgate it is said that anything can be bought and sold. It is true. There are several flesh markets. Anything you can think of is sold, including some you wouldn't think of. The only law is Caveat Empator.. If you get cheated, you have to take care of it yourself. There is no written law code for Hellsgate. What laws are enforced are those the strongest can enforce. Their personal codes of behavior. The City The West Precinct is the primary abode of most devils. There are many noble devils that keep an estate here, They do not stint the decoration or ostentatious display of wealth. The Central Precinct is the area of the palaces of the Princes and the markets. The Gate is in a park in the center. The East Precinct is the slums of the city. There is no end of population and squalor. The North Precinct is the location of most of the mortal sell to do and the palace of Kirt Hellreaver The Flesh Market This is the most infamous slave market on all of Greyhawke. The laws of the Domains give slave more rights than does Hellsgate. Here you can find sentient beings marked for sale as food. While the the rules are lax, quality is highly variable. Once in a great while you find the stunningly beautiful slave or the hunk, but don't bet on it. Many of the offerings are used up or exotics bread nearby for the trade itself. Those lax laws. The patron will rub shoulders with devils great and small, and a class of mortal that many would call worse than the the devils. There are a number of dealers within the flesh market area. Some deal only with quality and they are invitation only. Prove you have money before you can fondle the merchandise. There are open auctions, these get the most attention, and last are the bargain basement sellers that don't haggle. You find no gens in those places. The Golden Griffin This is Kirt's bar in the central city. It is named for the large gold griffin that sits in the center of the bar. No lock or guard defends it and yes it is man portable. The decor is heavy toward the warm wood and brass. Rich and welcoming is the atmosphere. Anyone is welcome as long ans they keep the peace. Furniture is eclectic as the type of people showing up can vary into their needs for a chair. *'Ingene' - Sauroi (copper) female - Bartender - Bright and sparkling a genial host. A good deal of the Copper Dragon shows in her. Kasy's Coffee Bar A sub bar in the Griffin proper.The potable here is coffee. Never cheap but very good. Except for the Blackguard pot, that is just nasty. *'Kasy' - Human female - Mary Martin crossed with Jennifer Ashby. This very small (five nothing) woman is a client of Kirt, and utterly fearless. The Great Bazaar The market for anything., This is just south of the Hell Gate Park. The official dividing line between the West and East city. The Bazaar is roughly divined by type of merchant or craftsman. So you have a cloth sellers area, a smith's area, and so forth. 70% of the city's retail happens here. Other than the north there are few free standing shops. To the East side are the Beast Markets and to the west side the Flesh Markets. The Hell Gate The gate stands at the end of a long greenspace in the center of the city. It is a rough hewn portal of near transparent netermetal with a dark opening at the center. Walking into the gate will land you in the Fourth Circle of Hell before a bored Devil and his customs station. If you don't state your business quickly and with authority you become the day's entertainment. None of this is secret or even hidden. The gate is not guarded. It guards itself. Hellsgate Inn Tavern really it has no rooms for rent. The Hellsgate Inn is to the west of the Hell Gate park. It is the hangout of the Geryines. They have laid claim to the place and few other devils and fewer still mortals will darken the door. The interior is bare wood with tables and benches. They keep it simple. The featured beverage is the alaka concoction known as "strong drink'. The stuff they tell you be wary of. It is said that drinking it will damn your soul as it is made from the tears of angels and the suffering of the damned. The latter is closer to the truth. *'Joe' - Human male - Bar Owner - Joe doesn't care who drinks there as long as they pay their tab. Devils are at least honest. It has been noted he does not perturb. Johnson's Estate Johnson is Prince of the Blackguard, the elite Geryines unit that is the personal guard of Mephistopheles himself. From the outside it is rather plain. A wall, a house that sticks up over the wall. Inside is a garden of earthly, and earthy delights. Hot and cold running sex, savory foods to delight the palatem, endless drink. Hey, he is already in Hell. Might as well get some mileage from those deadly sins. This is Johnson's "vacation" home. He has enough pull to get multipresence and pretty much has a free ticket to be on the prime. *'Johnson' - Geryines male - Minor god, Prince of the Blackguard - One of the few princes that Mephistopheles allows who is not a circie lord. The commander of his personal guard is what he wants him to be. As a mortal Johnson was a soldier that enjoyed war a bit too much. As a devil he is no different, but likes the sins that most soldiers dream of instead of those they do. In spite of a reputation for wallowing in vice, mainly those of the lower classes sex, food, and drink. he is a rough if charismatic man. He treats fairly with any that treat fairly with him and will pick his friends where he will, regardless of origin or mortal state. For those with a strong stomach his parties are a must. The Palace of Ivan Ivan is one of the two official princes of the city. He represents the Eyrian Empire the other official power behind Hellsgate. The Palace is not large. Ivan keeps no household here but treats the location as a remote office. While the structure is plenty grand it is not large or roomy. A few offices and a grand but understand audience hall. Those unfamiliar with Ivan consider his influence in the city to be minor, a mere figurehead. These people do not realize that his major influence is with the other Prince of the City. Robastiphor does not treat Ivan lightly. It is only with the continued cooperation of the Eyrian Empire that Hellsgate could exist. Ivan's influence is in keeping the city livable at all. Because of him the law of Hell does not have primacy here. Any that seek the aid of the Eyrian Prince will find they have an open hearing. He is not interested in those that are seeking advantage, but those that are being oppressed will find an advocate. The Palace is manned by several members of the Legion of the Dammed, and Ivan's own Immortals the Valkur. *'Ivan Dmitrivich' - Phoenix male - Greater God, Patron of Love and Creation, Knight of Eyrie Prince of the City- Ivan is the son of a Novimeer merchant. Both he and is twin bother adventured in Abba Sanctuary, both ended up as Phoenixes. It was quick for both of them as well. They were among the first Phoenixes the house had made. Ivan was also the first to complete the set of god balls and gain dietyhood. Ivan was instrumental in freeing Abba Eecreeana from his madness and in the great restoration of the Phoenix race. Ivan is one of the quieter members of the Imperial household. He is neither a King or a holder of political office. He is the chief designer and creator of the current Woodmanor palace. The solid glass domes could have been made no other way. Personally he is much the personification of his powers. Or rather his powers are the primal expression of his personality. He is a Don Juan enticing women to give him a tumble. He is however picker than you might suspect. When it is easy, you get picky. He loves to make things and will practice the crafts he knows. Often he will not resort to primal power unless it is impossible by normal means, or time is of essence. He does supply the Woodmanor magic shop, but quietly. Few people realize it is him. His ability to create beings is unmatched. Ivan is one of the few that can bring forth complete souls from nothing. Each is a masterwork. Indeed, he is the only god known that can make a personal servant. Something he will do only with good cause. *'Carmen' - Human female - Legion of the Dammed - No last name, she left that on the battlefields of the Third Undying war. A hard woman with a soft core. If she catches you hurting the Innocent you will pay. *'Margain Soulgoard' - Human male - Legion of the Dammed - The name sounds pretentious, but any devil that has been in the city any time shudders at the sound. The man take positive delight in putting down devils that break the rules. *'Alldilon Swiftblade' - Half Elf male - Legion of the Dammed - Member of the legion or not Alldilon has maintain his sense of humor. He believes it is the only link he has to any humanity. He has been noted for wisdom. The Palace of Kirt Hellheaver It is said that if you catch the great dome just right in the light you can see it shimmer, bot from the heat or haze, but from its multi-planer nature. Kirt's palace is the central location of the North Precinct. Both in importance and in size. It is a town with in a city. Kirt keeps a major household here, more or less. Kirt has only one household with many gates into same, not all of them on Greyhawke. Kirt is the third major power in the city. Not one of the founding powers, but since he became a god he is a presence in Hellsgate you can not ignore. Kirt is very protective of those that swear to his loyalty and wearing the badge of Kirt's house is a much a surety as any person can get. Kirt is considered the controlling power of the north of the city, and since he became that the north has grown the quickest of any precinct. *'Kirt Hellreaver' - Sauroi (green) male - Greater God, Patriarch of the Sauroi, Lord of Life & Death, Patron of Adventures, Protector of Gor, King of the Sauriolands & The North - The first thing most people think about Kirt is intimidating. At 12 foot, with his draconic features, and the glowing eyes, he is a frightening sight for even the prepared. Those that know him discount appearance. He is known as a fair and just person, who will give you honest advice, no matter what. He is caring for those he takes into his change, and unrelenting in defense of his own. Kirt surrendered his position in the Eyrian court, he was a Knight, when he became a god and the King of his own country. However he still hangs around the court and is welcomed as an old friend. He has many adventuring buddies in the court. If Tesral asked for a favor that did not impact the Sauroi lands he would gladly do it. The Palace of Robastiphior A palace worthy of one of the Princes of Hell. Vast area, hundreds of rooms, huge feasting halls, and secret passages. The place will not disappoint. The Prince lives large in the life of an oriental despot. Nothing is refused him and there is nothing he cannot have. This is the home and headquarters of Hell's Prince of the City. Robastiphior's official position in Hell is Prince of Hellsgate. He is one half of what government Hellsgate lays claim to. As one might expect of a Hellish palace the palace politics are the snakeist snake pit you can find. Petty positions are fought over with the guile and subterfuge you would expect to be reserved for major kingdoms. But as ever the case, the less important the stakes, the harder they are fought over. Make no mistake Robastphior hears all the gossip and knows all the plans. He takes no action unless they foolishly try to mitigate his will or threaten him. Officially every devil in the city looks to him and must listen to him. There are a few that take objection to this idea and if he gets wind of it there will be, no I can't say it. *'Robastiphior:' "Human" male - Major God, Prince of Hellsgate - "Bob" as his intimates call him is the consummate glad-handing political. He is always running for your best friend. More-so the campaign means something to him. You get no dark and brooding Lord of Darkness here. Quite the contrary shine the lights, start the cameras. Let the show begin. It has been said that the brighter the light, the darker the shadows and Robastphior is the case study for that. While he is the smiling friend to all his operatives that see to his will are the most conniving that Hell can produces. No devil farts in Hellsgate that Robastphior does not know about. If it matters, actions will be taken. Outside of that his position is laissez-faire in the extreme. If you do not threaten the position of Hell, the existence of Hellsgate, or him, you are golden. Preigan's Gang Located on the east side this gang of children has some secret and powerful backing. The majority of the kids are between 8 and 12. They specialize in the helpless and vulnerable including lessor child gangs. The MO is robbery and kidnap with the victims turning up in the slave market if they are seen at all. The poor are targeted ransom is never even suggested. Varn's Hell Tours No he is not kidding. Varn Hell Reaper is a powerful adventurer that has leave to enter Hell and 'take' rogue devils or beasts. He can hire any he wishes to come with him. As long as you abide by the rules you can profit from the taking. You also take the risks. This is not pleasure trip. Varn runs several "tours" a year as he needs to harvest bits for his wife's enchanting. *'Varn Hell Reaper' - Human male - Owner - Adventurer, seldom adventures. Varn is noted as having a chest for his chest ,and being married to the point it repels succubuses He runs Varn's Hell Tours on the side gathering materials for his wife's crafting. He has a warrant from the Lord of Hell himself to harvest rogue devils and creatures of the plane. Category:Greyhawke Category:Places Category:Unfinished Articles